In office after 10 years, UDF makes strong welfare pitch

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Congress-led UDF returned to bureau successful Kerala aft a decennary arsenic six-term MLA VD Satheesan took oath arsenic CM earlier a roaring assemblage astatine Thiruvananthapuram's Central Stadium Monday and signalled a crisp governmental reset done a drawstring of payment measures, administrative changes and a caller probe into a politically delicate battle lawsuit linked to erstwhile CM Pinarayi Vijayan's Nava Kerala Yatra successful 2023. Satheesan moved swiftly to stamp authorization connected medication and underline UDF's welfare-first pitch. First furniture gathering cleared escaped question for women successful KSRTC buses from June 15, a Rs 3,000 summation successful ASHA workers' honorarium and instauration of a abstracted section for elder citizens, which CM described arsenic a first-of-its-kind inaugural successful country. "The extortion of elder citizens is indispensable for gathering a civilised society," Satheesan said astatine his archetypal property league arsenic main minister.

Govt besides announced a achromatic insubstantial connected Kerala's fiscal wellness done an adept committee comprising officials and fiscal specialists. In different politically loaded move, furniture ordered a reinvestigation into battle connected Youth Congress and KSU activists by gunmen attached to Vijayan during Nava Kerala Yatra successful Alappuzha aft black-flag protests successful Dec 2023. Satheesan said an SIT would probe the case, accusing erstwhile govt of dragging feet contempt tribunal directions for reinvestigation.

Cabinet besides replaced apical ineligible officers, appointing T Asaf Ali arsenic DG of prosecution successful spot of TA Shaji and Jaju Babu arsenic advocator general, replacing K Gopalakrishna Kurup. Satheesan, 61, was joined by a 20-member ministry that included PK Kunhalikutty, Ramesh Chennithala, Sunny Joseph, K Muraleedharan and KA Thulasi, who took oath last.